Lobos Drop 4-1 Decision at Utah, Split Opening Weekend
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH — New Mexico won a wild doubles point as Raul Dobai and Jake Trondson fought off five set points to give UNM the doubles point, but in the end it didn’t translate to singles. Utah took the first four matches in singles as Utah defeated UNM 4-1, giving UNM a split of its opening weekend after winning 4-3 at BYU on Friday.
UNM was in a position to potentially win the match with another late rally as both Dominic West at No. 1 single and Trondson at No. 6 bounced back after dropping opening sets to each move to a winner-take-all third set. Trondson was a late addition to the lineup after Sergio Molina didn’t start at No. 4, moving UNM’s back-end of the lineup up a slot.
The Lobos had a 1-0 lead after a wild doubles affair where Trondson and Dobai fought back from the brink. Stepan Holis and Facundo Bermejo took a 6-3 win at No. 3, and when UNM lost with West and Molina at No. 1 6-4, it went to the No. 2 doubles match, and it looked bleak.
UNM found itself down 6-2 facing a loss of the point when Trondson nearly willed he and his partner back with some heady play. Down 6-2, he forced an error, and then served up an ace to make it 6-4. His next serve was handled, but Trondson easily put it away to make it 6-5. Dobai got into the act with a smashing forehand and then smartly letting the return go long. UNM was down 7-6 after the switch but fought off a fifth set point before Trondson’s winner gave UNM a wild 9-7 tiebreak win and a 1-0 lead.
Utah however, took four singles matches for the win. The tough two matches were Bermejo and No. 5 and Dobai at No. 2, both of whom dropped three-setters after winning the first set. Down 3-1, Trondson won a tiebreak 7-5 to force a third set, and after losing an opening set tiebreak, West won his second set 6-4 to force a third.
Rafael Abdulsalam, the hero yesterday, lost a 7-3 tiebreak in the first and down 4-3 had a chance at a break up love-30, but couldn’t close the deal. He was broken in the ninth to close the match.
The Lobos return home to practice for a few days before heading to Phoenix to take on Grand Canyon on Saturday. That match was originally scheduled for Albuquerque.